Geological Development of the Northern Coast of Lake Peipsi

The area of Lake Peipsi offers favourable preconditions for further development of recreational and therapeutic facilities and tourism. The lake has a long jagged shore line with a great alternation of shore types and large stores of curative muds and mineral waters, The capacity of its basin is more than 25 cubic kilometres of relatively clean water; this makes the lake a prospective fresh-water reservoir for the towns of North-East Estonia and Tallinn, capital of the republic. The concentration of tourists is especially great on the northern coast of Lake Peipsi where the nice sandy beaches are open to the south (Photo 1). During previous years, strong damage to the beaches has taken place. In this connection, recommendations from geologists and geographers to determine how to protect these wonderful beaches of international interest are urgently needed.